Gator Pam

Countdown to Christmas and Miracles of Christmas are scheduled to begin October 23rd. https://ew.com/tv/hallmark-christmas-movies-2020

I don't have a lot of pins, but my collection is slowly growing.

Received my pins. They're so cute!

I do make my family's traditional receipts, but honey cake is not a tradition I grew up with. I've had it in recent years at the local CHABAD's, but had never learned to make it myself. When I saw this recipe I was like, "Why not?" I tried it, and IMO it's as good as, if not better, than the other honey cake I had in the past. So, in this instance, I'm not feeling like I'm missing out, nu?

*cross posted* Last night's festive meal's dessert was a new recipe from the Kosher Keto Ladies Facebook group: a keto-fied "honey" cake. Other than a few technical baking difficulties, as I am truly not a baker, it came out great! The "honey" cake fresh out of the oven. Turned out of the pan. Dusted with confectioners Lakanto monkfruit sweetener blend. Autopsy shot. Since I am inexperienced with making bundt cakes, I don't think I baked it quite long enough, allowed it to cool long enough, and tried to unmold it on a wire cooling rack rather than a solid surface. So, the honey cake crumbled. Since it crumbled in sections, we served it with Halo Top ice cream , strawberries, and sugar free whipped cream . The typed up recipe with my notes. Shared with permission from Lisa Libman of the Kosher Keto Ladies Facebook group.

Have fun, guys! Since I am a clerical substitute in our school districts, and our schools and administrative buildings have been closed and are still closed with 100% remote learning going on, I have not worked at all since mid-March. So, I'm going to have to pass on participating this year. But, I always enjoy lurking and seeing everyone's excitement, so please know I'll be right here anticipating y'all's posts as the exchanges progress.

My tradition was going to the malls and stores the Monday of Thanksgiving week to walk around, take in the decorations, and see if any item I hadn't already listed caught my eye. I won't be doing that this year, not with my medical issues. So that, and choosing which store I'll get in line at 3:00 am on Black Friday, and then waiting in line in my GottaDeal gear with my GottaDeal bags, while making conversation with my fellow shoppers, will be missed.

L'shana Tovah (Happy Jewish New Year 5781), GottaDeal community! Besides Shabbos, this coming Friday is Erev Rosh Hashannah, the Jewish New Year and start of the 10 Days of Awe. Yesterday I was a Zoom participant in Eastside Torah Center - Chabad's Grand Rosh Hashannah Challah Bake. It was fun socializing virtually, and I enjoyed the learning and the demonstration of the simanim platter while our dough proofed. Of course, when it came time for shaping, I did my own thing. Both designs are from The Challah Prince on Instagram. The one on the left is the basic 4-strand round braid, only he makes 8-strands and put two side by side in each strand pattern. The "star" shape on the right is 5 mini 4-strand braid challot, curved together in the center and then fanned out to make the circle. I did the second rise overnight in the refrigerator, so I think they over proofed a little and I lost some of the design on each. Egg wash to bake, and since they're for Rosh Hashannah, honey wash as soon as they were removed from the oven. For a first attempt at each design, I'm quite happy!

I'll be happy to watch, but I do wonder how they'll discourage in-person spectators who decide to show up anyway.

Looking forward to seeing them!

This is what I'm wondering when I ask if we will see door busters through out the season.

Are we expecting a domino effect, and see other retailers falling in line? Do we expect to see actual door busters the entire season?

I don't always get the $5 Kohl's Cash with in-store pickup, though. I do occasionally, but not every time. I have no idea why or why not.

I would have happily taken the double rewards points, in addition to free shipping every day. The MVC code is nice, but it is usually during a limited time each month, nu?

I'm looking forward to this!

Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit!

I bought one Christmas and one Hanukkah gift back in March, when Misen had a "sale" on their three piece knife set. They're for the same young man who has been out on his own a few years, but doesn't have any decent knives for his kitchen, yet.

Yesterday I had a six month diabetes follow up visit with my primary care physician. My PCP of five years retired in December. I go to a clinic which trains resident MDs, and had new residents every two years, due to them finishing their training and moving on with their careers. Finally, I was turned over to a long term nurse practitioner in my practice, who was wonderful! He was my PCP for the last five years, and was the one who sent me for testing for my chronic myeloid leukemia, which no one else had picked up on. Unfortunately, he retired in December, so I had my first visit with my new primary in December. Because of doing dirty/lazy keto, my A1C came back at 5.2, and had been steadily dropping for a good year prior to that. I was on 500 MG of metformin twice a day, as well as a dose of glibizide. I asked my former PCP if the dose could be titrated back, or even eliminated, but he was of the mind set of, "It's working for you. If it's not broke, let's not fix it." When I saw the new PCP in February, who was also supposed to be a long term MD, and not a resident, he was open to taking me off the medication and retesting me to see how well my eating controlled my diabetes. Well, my eating hasn't gone back to being totally carb laden, but I haven't been as strict as I should. My endocrinologist recently changed my levothyroxine dosage, and between my eating habits, the metabolism change caused by the change in the levothyroxine, and my own very sedentary habits, especially since the pandemic hit, I have put on 10 lbs. I honestly expected my A1C to come back in the high 6 to 7 range, and to be put back on metformin, if not both metformin and glibizide. It came back at 5.8. Woo-hoo! Still higher than a non-diabetic, but definitely acceptable for a Type II diabetic. My PCP left the clinic to serve COVID patients, and I'm back with a new to me resident. However, she and I decided to see if I can regain control of my eating, lose more weight, and get my A1C numbers to drop back down without reintroducing the medication. We'll see how I'm doing at my next follow up.

I finally had the follow up with the surgeon regarding the results from the procedure I had last month. Both areas came back cancer free (yay!), however a plan has been put in place to watch my bladder, as it had positive markers of potential future concern. But for now, unless the symptoms which started this whole process occur again, which they haven't since I started pursuing this, I need not worry about it until next year. Thank you all for your well wishes, healing love, white light, and prayers. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַגּוֹמֵל לְחַיָּבִים טוֹבוֹת שֶׁגְּמָלַנִי כָּל טוֹב Blessed are You, Lord our God, ruler of the world, who rewards the undeserving with goodness, and who has rewarded me with goodness.

Not for me, but thought I would inform others of it... No, You're Not Dreaming: Dole Whip Beer Is Real, and It's Made With Actual Pineapples

80 I would still have lost my mind. I hope you got a decent reimbursement on the cost for their manufacturing error, and that adjusting it to work didn't void your warranty!

Bellevue Square had a 365 Market in a closed JCPenney's for awhile a few years back. I loved it, but it obviously didn't make it. I don't know if the current retail climate would make such stores more successful. Amazon is putting an Amazon Go grocery in the closed Sears auto repair building at an open air Plaza a few miles away from me. It's about a mile or so away from the Redmond home campus to Microsoft. It will be interesting to see how successful that format is here in the suburbs. I think most of the Amazon Go grocers are currently in large urban settings.

I received the pathology results from the two biopsies I had done nearly two weeks ago. Unfortunately, what I received is the actual medical write up, with terminology I don't understand. I messaged my urogynecologist/surgeon, asking him to explain the results in layman's terms. His office responded, telling me he is out of the office until my scheduled follow up visit on the 21st. Thankfully, I have Facebook friends who do comprehend the terminology, and were wiling to look over what I received. It basically sounds as though there is good news and not so good news, but my apprehension has been reduced regarding waiting to speak with my doctor. I was told my doctor will be checking messages while he is away, so I may yet hear from him before my follow up. It has also been suggested I give both my primary, who had referred me to the urogynecologist, and my oncologist, who should have access to the results, calls and see if they have any input. So, I I'll be following up on that tomorrow. In the meantime, as an already three different cancer thriver, I thank you all for your prayers, well wishes, and healing thoughts and light. I will gladly continue to accept them. Once I have a definitive plan in place, if one is necessary, I'll update again Love and Light!

Has K-mart announced they'll be closed on Thanksgiving? That makes me happy, since I think of them as the Thanksgiving Day sale originators.